1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to fishing line spreaders, and more particularly to planar boards that move fishing lines in a direction angularly to the direction of the water force applied to the planar board.
2. Background and Description of Prior Art
When fishing lines are placed in a volume of moving water, the fishing line naturally moves to a position having the least amount of resistance in the moving water. When trolling, the fishing line will trail directly behind the moving boat. When stream fishing or river fishing, the line will swing in the water current to a position generally parallel to and immediately adjacent the shore. The fishing line will not, without aid, remain laterally outward of the boat or outward of the shore. Planar boards provide such aid.
Planar boards may be used while trolling to move a fishing line and trailing lure laterally away from the wake of a boat positioning the lure in less turbulent water and spreading lures laterally away from one another when plural lures are being trolled. Planar boards may also used while stream fishing and river fishing to move fishing lines and trailing lures outward from the stream bank into deeper water where fish may more readily strike the lure. As used herein, the term “lure” encompasses terminal fishing gear attached to a fishing line and used to attract fish and to be bitten by fish including but not limited to flashers, swivels, hooks, natural baits and artificial baits.
Known planar boards are somewhat flat structures having a triangular shaped leading end portion and are releasably attachable to a fishing line forward of a lure by various means. The fishing line attachment point is spacedly rearward the leading end and the planar board pivots thereabout to maintain an angular orientation relative to the moving water. Water moving on the surfaces of the planar board cause the planar board to act like a sail and move angularly relative to the moving water.
A drawback to known planar boards is that they are unstable in rough water, they cavitate which causes erratic movement, and they porpoise when they are trolled too fast or are used in rivers and streams having fast moving current.
Cavitation occurs when a pressure differential forms between the forward and rearward sides of the submerged portion of a planar board. When the pressure differential becomes too great, air bubbles form on the rearward side of the submerged portion which disrupts surface contact with the water causing the planar board to “jerk” back and forth causing erratic movement.
When trolled too fast, or used in fast moving water, known planar boards are known to “porpoise” and otherwise “jump” out of the water and then re-enter the water at a downward angle, forward end portion first, causing the planar board to “dive” below the surface responsively pulling the trailing lure below the surface as well.
Unstable, cavitating and porpoising planar boards move erratically in the water and this erratic movement is transferred to the trailing lure through the fishing line therebetween. This erratic lure movement tends to frighten fish that might otherwise be attracted to the lure.
What is needed is a planar board that is stable in rough water, does not cavitate, does not porpoise and does not dive below the water surface.
My invention overcomes various of the aforementioned drawbacks by providing an improved planar board for fishing having an elongated buoyant cylindrical body structurally carrying a radially extending dorsal vane and two bilaterally symmetrical opposing arcuate wings. The dorsal vane carries a line gripper for releasable engagement with a fishing line. Each wing defines a through slot spacedly rearward a leading edge that acts as a fluid nozzle allowing water to pass therethrough preventing air bubble formation and cavitation and causing the planar board to move in a generally level orientation on the surface of the water, even when the water surface is rough with waves and ripples. A stabilizer tip having a slotted sleeve and an angulated planar portion is removably adjustably carried at a reduced forward nose portion of the cylindrical body and extends forwardly from the body preventing the planar board from diving. Rotating the stabilizer tip axially on the body allows a user to determine which direction the planar board will travel relative to the moving water.
My invention does not reside in any single one of the identified features individually but rather in the synergistic combination of all of its structures, which give rise to the functions necessarily flowing therefrom as hereinafter claimed.